Worksop: 64-year-old claims he was abused at former children’s centre

Alan Townsend contacted the Guardian following this newspaper’s story on alleged child abuse victim Mickey Summers at the Ashley House - which is now a nursing home. Speaking about the alleged abuse for the first time, the former Creswell resident says that he was also abused at the home and would not wish the treatment he received on his worst enemy. “It was like a prison. In fact I think I would have been better off in prison,” Alan said. “I was kicked and punched and beaten up.” “I know sexual abuse was happening. People must have been raped and beaten up. But you put all these things to the back of your mind.” “The wardens knew what was going off.” “We were treated like dog meat.” “I only spent about five or six weeks in 1964 there in total but it was the worst period of my life.” Alan admits that when he was a teenager he had his problems and was put in the home when he was about 14. He said that he was sent there on remand whilst a probation report was completed after he had been ‘misbehaving’. “One time I had come back from some exercise activity, I had been for a shower and was putting my stuff away and someone smashed the locker door in my face which busted my nose. Nothing was done about it and I had to clear up all the blood,” he said. Now living in Langwith, Alan went on to live in homes in Derbyshire and Oxfordshire. “Ashley House was by far the worst,” he added. “Anything after that was like a holiday house.” Following the claims by Alan, the Guardian contacted Notts County Council. Steve Edwards, Nottinghamshire service director for children’s social care, said: “We take Mr Townsend’s allegations very seriously and will look into them. We have jointly agreed with the city council, Notts Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner that an independent review of historic allegations of abuse in care homes is needed and it is right that this review is carried out as soon as possible.”